Similar to the U.K. and U.S.A, the Irish education system is divided into four key stages; pre-school education, primary level education, second level education and tertiary education.
Transition between each of these phases has its own set of challenges but many believe the
most challenging of all is the transition from primary to second level education. A lot of the
challenges students face during this transition relate to teacher knowledge. According to
Kilpatrick et al. (2015: 12) a teacher must have an in-depth “knowledge of and expertise in the
mathematics that comes before and after what is being studied currently”. This quantitative,
cross-border study investigates if teachers in upper primary and lower secondary currently
possess the knowledge Kilpatrick et al. refer to. In this paper, the authors outline sixth class
teachers’ knowledge of the mathematics curriculum and teaching practices employed at second
level and first year mathematics teachers’ knowledge of the mathematics curriculum and
teaching practices favoured in primary school across both the Republic of Ireland and Northern
Ireland. The results of the study highlight low levels of knowledge in these domains. Based on
these findings the authors recommend that both pre-service and in-service, primary and second
level, teachers are given the opportunity to develop knowledge of the upper primary and lower
secondary mathematics syllabi; of students in both these years; and of the teaching practices in
place across both levels. Such opportunities will allow for effective practice at the boundary
crossing and this is the cornerstone of more educationally successful transitions.